Changeable display sign



March 28, 1961 H. J. ASHLEY CHANGEABLE DISPLAY SIGN 4 Sheets$heet 1Filed April 15, 1959 JEJLG. 1L

Howzird J. Ashkay INVENTOR.

BY W

FiledApril 1a, 1959 Mar h 2 19 H. J. ASHLEY 2,976,634

CHANGEABLE DISPLAY SIGN 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Howard J. Ashley INVENTOR.

March 28, 1961 H. J. ASHLEY CHANGEABLE DISPLAY SIGN 4 Sheets-Sheeii 5Filed April 13, 1959 mm In Tm J m w .W H 7 v B ATTORNEY.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 13, 1959 INVENTOR. I Howard J. Ashle I BYAT TOENEY.

CHANGEABLE DISPLAY SIGN Howard J. Ashley, 28 Mirabel Ave., Mill Valley,Marin County, Calif.

Filed Apr. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 806,024

4 Claims. c1. 40-125 This invention relates to display signs of the typehaving novel supporting means for a plurality of interchangeableletters, characters, and numerals.

In operating various businesses, it is frequently desirable to postuseful information by means of an attractive display where it may beseen by interested customers or others. In stores, particularly, it isdesirable to post the names and prices of various articles ofmerchandise in conspicuous locations in view of customers patronizingsuch a store. Since the informative material of a display sign of thiskind is changed from day to day, the supporting medium for the letters,characters, and numerals making up the sign should not only be capableof enlargement or contraction in accordance with the amount ofinformation to be displayed, but it should embody a construction whichmakes it possible easily to replace, reassemble, or change the relativepositions of such letters, characters, and numerals.

The present invention provides a display sign embodying a novelsupporting frame or rack for a plurality of cut-out letters making up adisplay, such rack comprising a number of sections which are detachablysecured one to another. The frame is capable of being increased in areaby the addition of vertical and also lateral extensions, thereby makingit possible to add to the material making up the display. The frameembodies a construction which not only securely supports the cut-outletters of the display, but it permits the convenient removal,substitution, and addition of cut-out letters when the informativematerial of the display is changed.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe pointed out hereinafter or will be indicated in the appended claimsor will be obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding ofthe present disclosure. For the purpose of this application, I haveelected to show herein certain forms and details of a changeable displaysign representative of my invention; it is to be understood, however,that the embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is forpurposes of illustration only and is not to be regarded as exhaustive ofthe variations of the invention in the art.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top, front perspective view of one of the rail supportingsections, or links, showing parts broken away and in section;

Fig. 2 is a top, rear perspective view of the rail supporting section orlink, showing parts broken away and in section;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the joint connecting one rail supportingsection with another, showing parts broken away and in section;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the horizontal plate supportingrails, showing parts broken away and in section;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of portions of a horizontal rail and avertical rail supporting section, showing the means by which the rail isattached to the supporting section, the section being shown broken awayand in section, and the rail being broken away;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a display sign embodying myinvention;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a typical indicia-bearing plate-in theform of a cut-out letter, such plate being one of several used inpreparing a display supported on and between two (2) of the horizontalrails;

Fig. 8 is a front view of a display sign embodying my invention;

Fig. 9 is a front view showing a rack or frame comprising a number ofjoined vertical sections and horizontal rails; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing an arcuate rack or frame.

The frame or rack embodying the principles of the present inventioncomprises two (2) or more laterally spaced vertical supports 10 to whichthe ends of two (2) or more vertically spaced intervening rails 11 aredetachably connected. The vertical supports each corn.- prise one ormore vertical sections 12 joined end to end to provide an uprightsupporting member of suitable height.

The vertical sections 12 making up the vertical supports of the frameembody substantially the same form and construction, so a description ofone will suffice for all of them. Each vertical section is .made from asuitable length of structurally rigid but flexible plastic or othermaterial, the upper end of which is formed with a male member 13 havingtwo (2) laterally spaced resilient tenons 14 extending rearwardly inparallel relationship to one another, such tenons having latch members15 projecting outwardly in opposite directions at their rear ends. Themale member 13 is provided with a vertical shoulder 16 at its rear side,such shoulder being positioned forwardly with respect to the rearvertical side of the section and below the tenons. The male member 13 isformed with similarly shaped horizontal open end grooves 17, the uppersides 18 of such grooves being arranged in upwardly convergingrelationship to each other. At points below the male member 13 thesection 12 is formed with two (2) laterally spaced parallel apertures 19extending horizontally through such section. The section 12 is formedwith a female member 20 at its lower end, such female member having acavity 21 extending therethrough which is of sufiicient size to receivethe upper male member 13 of a similar section when such sections arejoined together. The forward portion of the cavity 21 is larger than itsrear portion, and such forward portion is adapted to receive snugly themale member of a joined section while the rear portion of the saidcavity is of suitablesize for receiving the tenons 14 and .the latchmembers 15. The female member 20 is formed internally within its cavitywith a vertical shoulder 22 which is adapted to abut the shoulder 16 ofthe male member of another connected section when two (2) of suchsections are joined together. The female member as, within its cavity21, is formed with two (2) laterally spaced inwardly protruding lockingprojections 23 of suitable size and shape for entering and snuglyfitting Within the grooves 17 of the male member 13 of another joinedsection 12. In connecting one section 12 to another to increase theheight of a vertical support 10, the male member 13 of the lower sectionis inserted forwardly into the cavity 21 of the upper section. Thetenons 14 of the lower of the two (2) sections are adapted to flexsufficiently toward each other to permit their latch members 15 to passthrough the smaller rear end portion of the cavity 21 of the upper ofthe two (2) sections. When the male member 13 of a lower section hasbeen projected sufliciently into the cavity 21 of the upper section, theshoulders 16 and 22 of such sections will be in abutting relationshipwith each other and the latch members of the male member of the lowersection will be in locking engagement with the rear 'side of the femalemember of the upper section. The latch members 15 are preferably formedwith curved cam surfaces at their "rear ends, such oam surfaces beingadapted to engage with the lateral sides of the cavity 21 of an uppersection when joining two (2) sections together. The latch members 15 ofthe lower joined section being wider than the cavity 21 of the uppersection causes the tenons 14 of such lower section to flex sufficientlyto permit the male member 13 of the lower section to enter the cavity 21of the upper section, and when such male member has been projected fullywithin the said female member, the latch members emerging from thecavity will spring outwardly to lock against the rear side of suchfemale member.

The frame, in addition to two (2) or more vertical supports 10,comprises two (2) or more vertically spaced elongated rails 11 which areadapted to support a plurality of indicia-bearing plates 24 that may bein the form of cut-out letters, characters, or numerals or in the formof a plate with the letter, character, or numeral painted thereon orotherwise applied thereto. The elongated rails 11 are structurally rigidbut are adapted to be bent into arcuate shapes as shown in Fig. 10. Therails are each somewhat S-shaped in crosssection, and elongated opengrooves 25 and 26 are provided at their upper and lower sides. The endsof the rails have opposed projecting substantially parallel resilienttenons 27 which have latch members 28 on their free ends. The tenons 27are adapted to extend through and fit snugly into the apertures 19 ofthe sections 12, and the latch members 28 are adapted to engage with thesides of the sections to prevent the detachment of the rails from theupright supports 10. The support sections 12 may each have one or morevertically spaced pairs of apertures 19, depending upon how high thedisplay sign should be and the number of rows of the indicia-bearingplates 24 that are to be used in the display. It will be noted that thetenons 27 being resilient and bendable, particularly at points adjacentthe latch members 28, will permit the temporary deformation thereof toallow their insertion into the apertures 19. The tenons upon returningto their normal shape after the latch members 28 emerge from theapertures, cause such latch members to spring inwardly toward each otherand thereby move into locking engagement with the sections. It will benoted that the apertures 19 are in pairs so that the adjacent ends oftwo (2) rails arranged in horizontal alignment may be connected to andsupported by a singlesection 12. While it is advisable from a productionand cost standpoint to have the upright sections 12 made alike, it isalso feasible to have those sections at the front and rear end of theframe formed with only one (1) aperture 19.

The indicia-bearing plates 24 are made from structurally rigid, butflexible and bendable sheets of plastic or other suitable material.Preferably the plates 24 are in the form of cut-out letters, characters,and numerals. The plates are preferably formed with one or more narrowprojecting tongues 29 at their lower and upper edges as shown in Fig. 7,such projections being adapted to fit in the upper and lower grooves 25and 26, respectively, of two (2) vertically spaced parallel rails 11.Narrow indicia-bearing plates 24 may require only one (1) tongue 25 ateach of its upper and lower edges, but where such plate is comparativelywide, as when formed with such letters as N or 0, it is preferable thattwo (2) spaced tongues 25 be provided on both of its upper and loweredges. It will be noted from an examination of Fig. 6 that theindicia-bearing plates 24 may embody different sizes. Those plates whichextend between widely spaced rails must flex outwardly so as to extendin front of any intermediate rails, and such plates will then assumesomewhat semi-cylindrical shapes. By having the narrow tongues 25 ofsuch plates extending into the grooves 25 and 26, the frame may assumean arcuate or other shape as shown in Fig. 10, without having the platesresist appreciably the forming of the frame into such shape and withouthaving the plates becoming detached from the frame.

The open construction of the frame and the spacing of the lettersconstituting the display, makes the display sign particularly welladapted for use in store windows where it is desirable that themerchandise behind the frame be partially visible. Although it isusually desirable that the supported letters, characters, and numeralsbe supported by equally spaced horizontal rails, it is evident that suchrails may be arranged in various positions with respect to each other sothat different size plates may be used to make up the display sign, asshown in Fig. 8. Although the display sign, and particularly thesupporting frame, is usually of substantially rectangular shape, it isalso feasible to arrange the rails and the vertical supports in variousrelative positions to provide unusual shapes and designs, as shown inFig. 9. Although the frame and the display supported thereby are usuallyarranged in flat planes so the display sign may be suitably supportedalongside vertical wall surfaces, it is possible by reason of thebendability of the material of the frame and particularly the rails andthe supported indicia-bearing plates that such frame and the supporteddisplay may embody suitable curvatures, as shown in Fig. 10.

What i claim is:

1. In a display sign, a plurality of laterally spaced upright supportingmembers arranged in substantially parallel relationship to each other,the said supporting members each having a plurality of vertically spacedhorizontal apertures arranged in corresponding positions with respect toone another, a plurality of vertically spaced substantially horizontalrails detachably supported by and extendingbetween the uprightsupporting members, the rails each having resilient tenons extendingfrom its ends at substantially right angles to such rails, the tenonsextending through the apertures of the supporting members and the tenonshaving enlarged locking members at their outer ends engaging with thesupporting members externally thereof, the rails each havinglongitudinal open grooves extending along its upper and lower sides, anda plurality of indicia-bearing plates detachably supported on andbetween the rails and having upper and lower projecting portionsextending into the grooves of the rails.

2. In a display sign, a plurality of laterally spaced upright supportingmembers arranged in substantially parallel relationship to one another,the supporting members each embodying a plurality of sections detachablyjoined end to end, each section having a pair of substantiallyhorizontal apertures positioned in vertically spaced relationship to oneanother, the apertures of each pair being laterally spaced from oneanother, a plurality of vertically spaced substantially horizontal railsinterposed between and supported by the supporting members, the railshaving resilient tenons at their ends extending at substantially rightangles to such rails, the tenons extending through the apertures of thesections, the rails each having longitudinal open grooves extendingalong its upper and lower sides, and a plurality of indicia-b'earingplates detachably supported between and by the rails, and having upperand lower projecting portions extending intothe grooves.

3. In a display sign, a frame for supporting a plurality ofindicia-bearing plates, the frame comprising a plurality of uprightlaterally spaced supporting members each having one or more sectionsjoined end to end, each section having a male member and a female memberat its ends, the male member of each section having a pair of resilienttenons formed with enlarged outer ends, the female member of eachsection having a horizontal open cavity adapted to receive the malemember of an adjoining section, the enlarged outer ends of the tenonsbeing normally but displaceably locked against an outer side of thefemale member, and each section having one or more vertically spacedapertures, and a plurality of vertically spaced substantially horizontalrails extending between and supported by the upright supporting members,the rails having tenons at their ends extending into the apertures ofthe sections, the rails each having upper and lower open longitudinalgrooves in its upper and lower sides.

4. In a display sign, a frame for supporting a plurality ofindicia-bearing plates, the frame comprising a plurality of uprightlaterally spaced supporting members, each having one or more sectionsjoined end to end, each section having a male member and a femalemernher at its opposite ends, the female member having a cavity forreceiving the male member of an adjoining section, and the male memberhaving resilient tenons formed with enlarged ends normally engagingexternally with a side of an adjoined female member, whereby thesections are normally but detachably maintained in joined relationship,the sections each having one or more pairs of laterally spaced aperturesarranged in similar laterally spaced relationship to each other, and aplurality of substantially horizontal vertically spaced rails extendingbetween the supporting members and having resilient tenons at their endsfitting in the apertures and arranged in locking relationship to thesections, the rails each having upper and lower longitudinally extendingopen grooves in its upper and lower sides.

References ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 99,675Howell -2 Feb. 8, 1870 193,006 La France July 10, 1877 1,400,438Iacquette Dec. 13, 1921 1,779,190 Send Oct. 21, 1930 2,001,115 Shaw May14, 1935 2,541,460 Bugh Feb. 13, 1951 2,615,268 Hamilton Oct. 28, 19522,869,263 Dillen Jan. 20, 1959 2,876,560 Henley Mar. 10, 1959 FOREIGNPATENTS 137,737 Austria May 25, 1934 583,153 Germany Aug. 29, 1933813,255 France Feb. 22, 1937

